Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Today, I'm so excited to be guest blogger over at the Big Picture blog. I have a tutorial on upcycling scrapbook product packaging into a mini chalkboard. The inspiration for this came from Nini who always loves to write mini messages on her dry erase board and also loves all things handmade. You can find instructions here.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

This issue is filled with 421 easy ideas for scrapbooking simply. There are tips for quick and easy photo fixes and creative shortcuts to meaningful journaling, plus, there are are guides to creating striking layouts using limited supplies. Here's a sneak peek.

Here's one of my layouts from Simple Scrapbooks.

And now the details of the GIVEAWAY. ONE lucky blog reader can win a free copy of this simply awesome issue by leaving a comment to this post by 4/29/2012. Be sure to check back on 4/30/2012 to see if you won. Leave your email address in the comment so I can contact you in case you forget.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Thanks so much for taking the time to wish Om happy birthday yesterday! I appreciate :)
Being a school night, our celebrations were not elaborate. We are saving that for Saturday.

I'm buried under deadlines at the moment, so I'll make it quick...
First, here's a quick share...

And here's news for the start of National Scrapbooking Day celebration at Paper Crafter's corner:

This week, PaperCrafter’s Corner is bribing our readers to get out & scrap! We are challenging them to find a local crop, class or retreat to attend in honor of National Scrapbook Day. We believe that enjoying your favorite hobby with others is the best way to stay inspired & motivated and to introduce new friends to the craft --- which in turn is great for all of us in the industry!!

We just kicked off our big National Scrapbook Day promo and would love your support via facebook, twitter, blog, etc. We are even paying the crop fee (up to $25) for the winning reader to attend the local crop or retreat of her choice – along with some other crop-themed prizes. Total giveaway value is $205+

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Hello, hello... spring is in full swing and it's time for the May-June issue from CK!

That AMAZING cover layout by Stacy Cohen captured my heart right away! And that's only the beginning. This issue is brimming with 358 inspiring ideas for all things scrapbooking. Get a sneak peek here.

I'm absolutely loving Megan Hoeppner's article about creative spaces where she takes us on a special tour through craft studios. So many doable ideas there.

Here's a page by me for the Journaling Solutions column about creating fun journaling spots for your layouts.

Thanks to CK, I can give away a copy of this fab issue to ONE lucky blog reader. Leave me a comment to this post telling me your favorite topics to scrap during spring by Sunday, 4/22. I'll post the winner on Monday 4/23.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

While I was cleaning out my studio, I found many little forgotten treasures neatly tucked away in baskets, boxes, and more. After 5 straight days of cleaning (yeah, it takes me that long and actually it's still far from finished!), I just needed a creative break... So, I sat down with glue, scissors, and my rediscovered pile of goodies and challenged myself to create something that I don't make too often...cards, and to create it/them without using my most go-to-supply: paints. Here are some sneaks...

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The Lift Me Up workshop is about giving second chances to things that have already served their original purposes. It is about developing the eye that sees potential in ordinary everyday castaways. It is about being a little more responsible with your surroundings, your expenses, but above all, it's about choosing a creative lifestyle.

Colorful instructional handouts with step-by-step instructions for each lesson/project

Private posting gallery to share your work and view the work of your classmates

Message board to share your thoughts with your classmates

Email access to Mou

Live chats with Mou

Cost of the class is $25.

Read more details, listen to an audio introduction and register here.See some sneak peeks of the projects here.

Today I'm giving away ONE spot to the Lift Me Up! workshop. All you need to do is leave a comment to this post telling me what you like to upcycle the most. Post your comment by 4/17/2012 and I'll announce the winner on the 18th. Good luck!

Thursday, April 05, 2012

In honor of our planet, Big Picture Classes presents a 4-week workshop Lift Me Up! designed by yours truly, me. Lift Me Up is about lifting wasted, abandoned, everyday objects around us to give them new lives and meanings.

In this class you'll create FOUR projects using recycled materials with the help of downloadable colorful visually stepped out instructions. You can chat with me live on scheduled dates, which you get upon registration. Projects are designed from beginner to advanced.

Class starts May 31 and runs through June 27. Registration closes June 6.

You'll be using supplies from your own craft closet. Here's a look at mine.

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

was Graduation day. The kids graduated to purple belt junior.
Here's Om (left) free spurring his opponent who actually happens to be his friend. At first, they pretended to spur as they didn't want to hit each other. But then they had to really spur in order to graduate to the next belt level.

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

I've been art journaling non-stop during the last few days... it's amazing what a little pocket of free time can do! My clothes are all painty, fingers all inky, heart all happy...

Sunday, I actually dragged my little family to a nearby town and took over 400 photos... just experimenting with settings. I have to say even though it's only first week of April, it gets HOT in Florida! Around noon, I called it a day. We saw manatees and dolphins in the wild... another plus of sea-side living. We hadn't had a carefree day like that in a VERY long time... it's usually the same routine, same commute, same everything... which is comforting... but I don't mind days like this that are exhilarating!